Destruct Sequence
by shadowblade-tara
Summary: Dangerous Alliance Pt 3: Karr is badly injured, and only Bonnie can save him. Along the way, Michael will learn more about Connor than he ever thought possible, and the true bond between Connor and Karr will be revealed.
1. Chapter 1

This story dedicated to BuckleWinner and Rainack. Thanks for sticking with me and being loyal reviewers! (hugs you both)

**chapter one**

Michael had never expected to be summoned to this place. It was in a dark section of the city, the kind that made you want to carry a gun even if you didn't know how to use it. The place in question was a bar – or at least, if it wasn't, he didn't want to know what it was. There was barely any light, and what light there was came in the form of strobe lights and black lights scattered in the more populated areas of the club. Michael worked his way through the crowd, getting more and more nervous by the moment. She had said to meet him by the juke box, and that was on the opposite side of the dance floor by the bar, according to Kitt.

Why here?

He forced his way through the last group of dancers, and suddenly he could hear the music blaring over the speakers. He grimaced. And Kitt thought _his_ music was bad.

_What has come over me? What madness taken hold of my heart?_

She was standing beside the juke box like she said she'd be. He reached out and touched her shoulder, drawing her attention to him. Her amber eyes looked white in the black light glow. His fingers came away wet. He chose not to think about what that meant.

For a moment, they simply stared at each other. He could see the fear and exhaustion in her eyes, and with a sickening feeling he realized he recognized it. It was the same feelings that raced through him whenever Kitt was damaged and there was nothing he could do about it. She reached up and grabbed his hand, guiding him to the bar. He ordered a coke. She ordered scotch on rocks. He had to admire her taste.

"So what's wrong?" he asked as soon as the bartender was gone.

_To run away, the only answer. Pulling me away, to fall upon (the night) the source of my recovery._

She took a sip of her drink before responding. "About two months ago, the Institute caught up with us." she said slowly. "I was still too injured to fight, and they captured us. Kept us locked away for two weeks. I got away, but only because of Karr. About three weeks later, I got the chance to fight my way back in. I got him out, and we went underground here."

_Sweet shadow taking hold of the night. Another day has been devoured calling me away, begging the question why?_

Michael nodded. "Do you need medical help?"

"No." She took a long drink and turned her complete attention to Michael. "I need Barstow."

It took a brief second for that to catch on. "Karr's been damaged?"

"I can't fix all of it on my own."

Michael hesitated. "Come on. I can't hear myself think in here." She nodded and allowed him to lead her out of the club and into the back alley where Kitt was parked. Two young men were sitting on the hood of the Trans-Am. Michael almost said something, but Connor shook her head. "Friends of yours, I take?"

"Something like that." One of the men walked up to her and handed her an envelope. She in turn handed him a packet of something. He smiled at her, and she flashed him a tired grin. "Don't get caught." she advised. He saluted her, and both men took off. "I told them I'd meet them out here. I figured it couldn't hurt to have an extra guy around in case they got any brilliant ideas. Though I think they were too strung out to notice."

Michael looked her over. Her clothing was torn and stained, and he was right – that was blood on her shoulders and smeared across her face. He reached out to her again, and this time she jerked away. He sighed. "You really shouldn't deal drugs in front of me." he said gently.

Connor grinned. "What makes you think that was drugs?" she teased. "For all you know, it could have been a cup of sugar."

He rolled his eyes.

_For saving me from all they've taken. Letting my armor fall again, giving me the strength to face them._

"Why do you need Bonnie?" he asked again.

"The Director did something to Karr's programming." Connor said. "I can't fix it on my own. I can show her what's wrong, but she has to fix it. My skills begin and end with circuitry and random maintenance."

Michael sighed. "It's more than I can do."

_Feeling it take over now, on a path to take it all away._

Connor leaned against the wall, and suddenly Michael realized just how tired she was. All that blood could not have been from being beaten a week ago. Most of it was still fresh. "What happened to you?"

"I told you."

"No. That would have healed over by now. You're bleeding."

She flinched, unwilling to look Michael in the eyes. She didn't answer, and Michael couldn't push it. But he thought he knew, and he had to wonder what had happened to make Karr hurt Connor. Assuming he was right, of course.

It was possible. After all, Kitt had hurt him, and he was programmed not to hurt anyone.

_There can be no better way of knowing in a world beyond controlling._

"Please, Michael." Connor whispered. "I just want Karr back. Is that such a bad thing?"

Once again, Michael sighed. "No." He hesitated, but in truth, he already knew what he would do. He told her to call on him if she needed help, and she did. Now it was up to him to fulfill his end of the bargain. "Where are you holed up?"

She flashed him a grim smile. "Underground. Literally."

Michael grimaced. Figured. "All right. I'll hail Bonnie and get her out here. You need to go clean up and get some sleep. You're going to need it."

_Are you going to deny the savior in front of your eyes?_

Connor nodded. "If I can." she murmured. "I don't sleep well under normal circumstances." She turned to walk away, but hesitated. "Michael? Thanks."

"No problem." Lie. He was never going to convince Bonnie to help keep Karr, of all people, alive. After all, Karr had kidnapped Bonnie, threatened Kitt and Michael, and almost killed Devon. She wasn't going to be happy about this.

But a promise was a promise. Michael had to try. "Can you get me Bonnie?"

_Stare into the night! Power beyond containing._

"Certianly." Kitt hesitated. "Are you going to tell her?"

"Not yet." he said. "Connor needs Karr. I have a feeling Connor is the only thing that's keeping Karr from going on a killing spree again."

"Agreed." Kitt hesitated again, but the pause was different this time. "I have Bonnie."

Michael sighed. This wasn't going to be fun.

_Are you going to remain a slave for the rest of your life?_

_Give in to the night!_

/---/

An: Woo! I'm back again! I know I said I was going to take a break, but I finally figured out how to do this chapter, so I decided to go ahead and type it up. The song is Night © Disturbed, one of my favorites (why do I always like the demented songs?) and it's there to set the mood for the rest of the story.

Warning: this will be dark, angsty, and not a whole lot of action. A different kind of story, but I think it will be fun. Review, and let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

**chapter two**

It had been surprisingly easy to talk Bonnie into helping Connor. Strangely enough, the mechanic had taken a liking to the young woman early on, and she was eager to do anything that would make her life a bit easier. Michael just neglected to tell Bonnie what that entailed. He felt a bit guilty about that, but he knew what Karr meant to Connor. He wouldn't be the one to take Connor's partner away from her.

Now Michael, Kitt, and Bonnie were parked outside of the same club where Connor had met him the first time. Bonnie wrinkled her nose. "Why here? It's probably dangerous just walking past the place, much less going inside."

"Connor asked." Michael said non-committaly. He wondered, briefly, if Connor's druggie friends were around. That was the last thing he wanted Bonnie to see. He understood a little about the dark world Connor lived in. Bonnie, as far as he was aware, had never been touched. He wanted it to stay that way. "I didn't understand it myself, but hey, so long as we don't hang around, we should be fine."

"Speaking of," Kitt interrupted, "my scanners are picking up on Connor. She's coming this way, and I believe she's being pursued."

"Believe?" Bonnie asked. "You aren't sure?"

"Not really." Kitt admitted. "She's not running and she's not damaged, but she has someone following her. I don't recognize him."

"Bring him up on the screen." Michael instructed. Kitt did so, and Michael shrugged. "No idea. Maybe she'd know." He got out of the car and pulled the seat forward just as Connor exited the back of the building. She smiled at him, but it didn't reach her eyes. He returned the smile. "Come on, get in."

She did. "Something wrong?"

"You're being followed."

"So what else is new?" Connor turned to Kitt. "Can you show me who it is?" Kitt did. Connor cursed. "I see the Director doesn't give up easily." she murmured. "That man works with the Institute. He's probably trying to find out where I've hid my partner." She turned her focus to Bonnie. "Hi, Miss Barstow."

Kitt noticed that Connor had fallen into the role of someone much younger and far more innocent, just with that simple sentence. Where had she learned to act so well? Or more accurately, what situation was she in that forced her to learn such skills? Bonnie smiled at Connor, unaware of the sudden shift. "Hey, Connor." she greeted her. "So who's your partner?"

"He's an AI like Kitt." Connor replied readily enough. "I need your help repairing him."

Bonnie nodded. "Not a problem."

Michael fired up the engine and they took off. Connor guided them to the other side of town, deep in the scummy area of the city. Michael couldn't help but make a face. They went from one kind of darkness to another. He could see drug dealers and broken-down houses as he and Kitt eased their way through the streets. There were children playing in ditches filled with stagnant rain water. He grimaced. "Why here?"

"It's not here." Connor said, staring out the window. "It's past this place. Keep going – you'll see a turn off down an alley. Go left, and after five blocks you'll see an exit ramp that goes underground to the right. Take that." Michael nodded, following her instructions. Bonnie twisted in the seat so she could talk to Connor.

"Did the Institute develop your partner?" she asked.

Connor shrugged. "Something like that. I was only twelve when we were paired, so I don't really know." Lie. Connor didn't know what age she had been when she had met Karr – although it had to be close to twelve – and the Institute didn't develop anything. They stole the technology they needed, and the manpower. After all, it was much faster to use something already made than to create it yourself.

"What's his name?"

"We're here." Michael interrupted, much to Connor's relief. "Not much of a place."

"It's sufficient." Connor said dismissively. "Park there." Kitt pulled in beside a sleek black Ferrari Enzo, or rather what was left of it. Michael grimaced at the amount of physical damage done. In all actuality, there wasn't much. Michael could see a few dents across the fender and some scratches down the hood, and that was it. Experience, however, had taught Michael exactly how hard it was to damage the MBS. He wondered exactly what the Institute had thrown at Karr to put even that slight of damage there.

He noticed blood smeared across the hood. So he was right.

Bonnie, Michael, and Connor got out. Bonnie examined the car, walking a slow circle around it. "The damage doesn't look like much." she commented.

"Most of it is under the hood." Connor said. "But that's not the important part. There's been programming damages that I can't fix on my own. I can tell you what's wrong, but I need you to fix them." She motioned towards the bank of computers – five of them, and one laptop – that sat on a table beside Karr. "Can you help me?"

Bonnie looked at the damaged Karr. Her brow furrowed in thought. "I may need tools from the garage." she said slowly. "I can assess the damage, but I'm going to need to return for tools and such."

"No need." Connor said briskly. "Any physical damage I can repair. As for tools – tell me what you need and I can get it."

Bonnie shook her head. "Well, you have the resources, right?"

"Right." And if she didn't, she could get them easily. She still had a few contacts in this city that the Institute hadn't killed.

Bonnie clapped her hands together. "All right. Let's get started."


	3. Chapter 3

**chapter three**

Three long days passed. Connor and Bonnie had taken out Karr's CPU and attached it to the computers. Michael had wondered exactly how long it would take for Bonnie to figure it out, or for Karr to refuse to allow her to help him, but nothing happened. In Connor's words, she had to shut him down because he wouldn't hold still. Michael knew better. She shut him down because he kept trying to hurt her.

He wondered, too, exactly how long it would take for Connor to finally admit what had happened. How long it would take for the pain to wear her down.

Three days and while Bonnie and Michael had gotten baths and decent amount of sleep, Connor hadn't. The underground chamber had been designed with the homeless in mind. There were cots built in to the walls, and the space was vast and wide open. On the north side of the chamber was a sectioned-off area with a bathtub, toilet, and sink. Connor refused to use the bathtub. It was hard getting clean with a sink, but it worked.

As for sleep, Connor always slept inside Karr. She wouldn't sleep in the shell of the Ferrari when Karr wasn't there.

Now she was leaning over Bonnie's shoulder, watching as she ran through lines of code. Michael sat on Kitt's hood, watching them work.

"Ok, you see that there?" Connor said suddenly, pointing at the screen. "That's not supposed to be there."

"That's a program." Bonnie murmured. "Some sort of guard program?"

"It's there to change the primary directive." Connor said. "My guess is the Institute wanted him to play bodyguard." Bonnie nodded distantly, typing in a few commands that changed the lines of code to an actual description of the program. Connor snorted in contempt. "And that's the problem, right there."

"There's a self-protection imperative." Bonnie said. "And this is the damage the program is doing to that imperative. They were trying to use him as a bodyguard, but they also programmed him to attack anyone who was a threat."

"Would that include Connor?" Michael asked suddenly.

"Possibly." Bonnie said.

"Definitely." Connor growled. "That needs to be removed."

"It may not be a bad idea to destroy the self-protection imperative." Bonnie pointed out.

"I've lived with that imperative." Connor shot back. "Leave that. The 'bodyguard' crap has to go." To Michael's shock, Bonnie simply nodded and typed in a few commands.

"That'll need to run for a few minutes." she said. "Let's see what else needs to be done." They fell silent as they scanned the lines of code. Suddenly, Connor reached out and stopped Bonnie. Bonnie started and looked over at her. "What?"

"That." She pointed. "That code is active."

"Yes."

"It shouldn't be active. That's the self-destruct sequence." She glanced over at the CPU on the table beside her, an odd look on her face. "Why?" she murmured.

"What do you want me to do with that?" Bonnie asked, ignoring the sudden tension in the room.

"Delete the code."

"He'll be mad at you." Michael pointed out.

"Let him." Connor muttered. "I'll be back." With that she turned and walked out of the chamber.

Bonnie turned and looked at Michael and Kitt. "Why do I get the feeling that there's something you're not telling me?"

It was Kitt who answered, surprisingly enough. "Her secrets aren't ours to tell."

/----/

Connor stood outside of the chamber, a lit cigarette in one hand as she stared at the thunderclouds overhead. She never smoked very often, but there was something comforting about holding the cigarette even if she never raised it to her lips. She took a shaky breath and leaned against the dirty concrete wall.

She couldn't stop the shakes, just as she couldn't stop the tears. What had Karr been thinking?! He had _promised_ her he would never activate that code! He had promised her, and he broke that promise.

Karr had never broken a promise before. Never.

Then again, if he was conscious – if he knew what he was doing, then she could understand. That didn't mean it still didn't hurt.

Michael walked out and stood beside her. "I didn't know you smoked."

"Not often." She took a drag and made a face. "Tastes awful, but it helps calm me down. Karr would kill me if he knew." Michael nodded.

"Got a spare?"

She laughed. "Never pegged you for a smoker either." she teased, lighting a cigarette for him. Michael grinned and took a drag.

"Kitt'll chew me out when he finds out." he chuckled. "But hey – what's a smoke among friends?" Connor smiled tightly. Michael sighed. "So how long do you plan on keeping Karr out?"

"Until that clean-up program of Barstow's is done." she said. "Karr has to tell me if there's more damage. I don't know his programming that well."

"You knew that damage had been done."

"For good reason."

Michael tossed the cigarette down and stamped it out. "Karr hurt you."

"He didn't."

"Yes, he did. Denying it doesn't change the fact that it happened." Connor wouldn't look at him, and Michael growled something foul-sounding under his breath. "If it makes you feel any better, Kitt hurt me! It happens! Deal with it, accept it, and move on."

"And when Kitt hurt you," Connor said slowly, "did you blame him for that?"

Michael hesitated. "No."

"Did someone turn him against you?"

Once again, Michael hesitated. "Yes. But that's different!"

"No, it isn't!" Connor was shouting now, all her anger and pain shooting through her and lashing out at Michael. "They tried to change him! Karr should have killed me, but he didn't! He fought the programming – for _me!_" She was pacing, tears streaming down her face, and Michael let her vent. "He didn't hurt me. That thing they tried to turn him into hurt me!"

Michael waited until she had run out of steam. "All right." he sighed. "All right. I can take a hint." It was almost touching, really. Then again, Michael only knew the surface of her hell. He didn't know what else had been done to her. Karr was her partner.

"Wait a minute."

Michael and Connor turned towards the entrance to the chamber, facing a furious Bonnie. Connor took another drag on the cigarette, staring calmly at the woman.

Bonnie crossed her arms over her chest. "You mean to tell me I just wasted a day fixing _Karr?"_


	4. Chapter 4

**chapter four**

"Bonnie." Michael sighed, getting ready for the storm. The mechanic was never going to forgive him for this. But her focus was solely on Connor, anger burning in her eyes. Michael wisely decided to stay out of the crossfire.

"You could have told me who he was." she hissed, her hands clenching into fists.

Connor calmly blew out a stream of smoke. "And if I had?" she asked, her voice cold as ice. "You would never have agreed to help me. I would have had to force you at gunpoint, and that wouldn't guarantee quality work. So I lied."

"How am I supposed to trust you if you lie to me?" Bonnie demanded, struggling not to be taken aback by Connor's sudden shift in attitude. This was not the girl she had talked to in the hospital. That girl had been friendly and kind of shy. This one – this one was dark and empty.

Connor laughed, but it came out a harsh sound. "You don't. And guess what? I don't trust you either. So we're even." She tossed down the cigarette and stamped it out. "Is the program done?"

"Yes." Bonnie sighed. "Though now I wish it wasn't. Let him be destroyed. He's nothing but poison."

Connor smiled slightly. "Ah, but he's my poison." she said gently. "And I'm an addict." She walked past Bonnie and into the chamber, and Bonnie and Michael followed. Connor stopped beside the CPU and started using extension cables to hook Karr back up to the Ferrari.

"Is that wise?" Kitt asked suddenly.

"I have to, whether it's wise or not." Connor said. "I know there's got to be more damage than what Barstow just fixed – the readouts aren't right – but I can't find it without his help." She glanced over her shoulder at Bonnie. "And I need your help to fix it."

"No!"

"I can always do it the hard way." Connor said blandly.

"Threaten me all you want to!" Bonnie hissed. "I'm not fixing him! He tried to kill Michael and Kitt!"

"I know." She set up the last of the cables and flipped a switch on the CPU. "But I can threaten Michael, can't I?"

Bonnie froze. "You wouldn't."

"I can and I will. If you don't cooperate." She ignored Bonnie as the woman floundered for words. Bonnie didn't turn towards Michael for confirmation. He wouldn't tell her the truth anyway. She would have to decide if Connor was bluffing on her own. And she didn't know enough to tell for sure.

Suddenly, the scan bar on the front of the Ferrari lit up. "Connor?"

Bonnie flinched. His voice was the same as it always was.

Connor lit up with joy. "I'm here, Karr." she said as she brushed her fingers across the CPU. Her voice was gentle as she spoke. "How are you holding up?"

"Connor – I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!"

"Hey." She cast the box a sharp glance. "I know what happened. There's nothing to apologize for. It wasn't you."

There was a moment of silence between them. Michael smiled to himself as he leaned against Kitt's hood. Karr acted more like Kitt around Connor than he did the homicidal AI Michael was used to. He wondered which would come first – the interrogation about Bonnie or getting chewed out once he detected the nicotine that had to be clinging to Connor even now.

"Where are we?" Karr asked. "My scanners aren't working properly."

Connor grimaced. That wasn't good. "What are they telling you?"

"I'm assuming Knight and Kitt are here, and wherever we are, it's big. I'm also detecting another person I can't identify and the presence of several computers."

"We're underneath the city in one of those homeless shelters." Connor explained. "I had to get Barstow to help us because of the programming damages. Knight and Kitt stuck around, probably to keep us from killing each other."

Karr chuckled, and it wasn't a pleasant sound. "Like Barstow even stands a chance." he teased, affection plain in his voice. "I take it there is engine damage, and that's why I only have access to my vocalizer and scanners?"

"Right."

"Why were you smoking?"

Michael started laughing as Connor rolled her eyes. "I was stressed. Smoking helps."

"So does killing people."

"I can't just yet."

"You're post-op! You're not supposed to be smoking!"

"I fail to see what my lungs have to do with my ribs."

By now Michael was laughing hard enough that his sides were starting to hurt, and even Kitt was chuckling a little bit. Bonnie just watched them with a look of complete and total shock on her face. Karr heard the laughter and wished he could rev the engine, just to freak them all out. "Like you can laugh, Knight." he shot at them. "How long before Kitt detects the presence of nicotine on you?"

"Oh, I already have." Kitt said, and the evil smile was plain in his voice. Michael groaned. Karr laughed.

Connor traced her fingers over the CPU, brushing past a sensor, and Karr shivered. Luckily no one noticed – it wasn't like the box itself could actually move. He could sense her hurt, and he knew there would be a reckoning tonight. He had betrayed her, after all. She would be well within her right to never trust him again.

Bonnie sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "All right. I'm going to go get a bath. Anyone bothers me before I get back, and I will throw things at them. Understand? Good." With that she turned and stalked off.

"You should get one too." Karr said quietly. "It'll help you relax."

"Hardly." Connor said with a grimace. "This place only has a tub."

"Really? Usually it's a shower and no tub, not the other way around." He understood though. He would have to make sure they found a decent hotel to stay in once this whole mess was over.

If they were still together.


	5. Chapter 5

**chapter five**

Connor waited until the others had gone to sleep before heading into the 'bathroom', if one could call it that, and cleaning up as best as she could in the sink. She grimaced at the grime in her hair and on her clothes, but there hadn't been time to grab an extra pair. She was stuck with the blood and oil until this whole mess was over with.

Appropriate, really. If only the guilt was as easy to wash away. She had failed him. She was supposed to protect him from the Institute, because they could hurt him more than they could hurt her, and she had failed.

She dried off and walked quietly back into the chamber. She had shed her boots earlier during the day, and now the room was only lit with a lantern on the far wall, so it was hard to see the glass shards that littered the floor. She didn't really care though. Karr's scanner was a beacon in the night, and she headed for it. There was still blood on his hood, and without thinking she shed her shirt and gently wiped it away.

"Connor." His voice was so quiet, she almost didn't hear him. She looked up, her shirt halfway up to her head. "Turn around."

"No."

He flinched, her calm refusal all the proof he needed. "The burns on your back – I did that, didn't I?"

"No." She pulled her shirt on and sat on the hood. Karr wished he could pull away. "You didn't hurt me – not there, anyway. That was the Director's doing."

Karr offered a shaky laugh. "You are a horrible liar."

She grinned. "Only to you." She ran her fingers over the hood, grimacing as she realized she was leaving finger marks on the black surface. Karr didn't ask her to stop, so she kept going. "I'm sorry, Karr. I should have stopped them."

"How? You weren't healed." She still wasn't. Karr could tell in the way she moved. She was slower than normal, her motions more deliberate. Her ribs still hurt her. It was a miracle she had lived at all, in all honesty. "You did what you could. You got me out of there." He started to say more, stopped himself, rephrased the words. He didn't want to lose her; he had to be so very careful. "I'm grateful."

She nodded, and for a while there was silence. Neither of them could tell how much time passed before Connor twisted around to stare through the windshield at the voice panel. "You initiated the self-destruct sequence." she said quietly.

Her voice was free of accusation, but Karr flinched anyway. "Yes."

"Why?" _You promised you never would._

"I had no choice. I had hurt you, I didn't know that I wouldn't kill you, and I couldn't do that. I couldn't be the reason for your death!" He stopped, trying to calm himself. He was so very desperate, hoping that she would hear the words he just couldn't say. _I couldn't live with myself knowing that I had hurt you. So I decided not to._

Connor smiled tightly. "Sounds like a familiar conversation we had a long time ago." she whispered, leaning back against the windshield. The car was cool and smooth against her injured back. "Remember that?"

"How could I forget?" Karr asked quietly. "I found you that day." That had been a few days after she had come down to the garage by herself for the first time, not too long after he had learned of her attempt on her own life. That was the day they truly became friends.

"It doesn't matter now."

Karr hesitated. "What doesn't?"

"This. What happened." She gestured towards the computer setup – where Karr technically still was, since the CPU had not been placed back in the engine compartment yet – and sighed. "It can't matter. None of it can. If it does, they win." She leaned against the windshield, going completely limp as she closed her eyes. Sometimes it truly amazed Karr just how much she trusted him. He couldn't protect her like this, yet she made herself vulnerable. "Besides, I can't blame you. It wasn't your fault."

"It wasn't yours either." Karr murmured. "You couldn't have stopped them, not in your condition."

Connor seemed to cringe at that. "They won't ever do it again." she said darkly.

Karr chuckled. "Now that's my Connor." Affection laced his voice. "But that will have to wait – when we're both back in working order."

Connor smiled. "Yes." Her voice was thick with sleep. "Good night, Karr."

"Good night."

Things were far from right. Things would never be right again until they got the chance to talk again, and Karr knew it. There was still much that needed to be said that neither were comfortable talking about here in enemy territory. No matter how friendly Knight and Kitt were, Barstow was definitely not on their side and never would be.

So things would have to wait. In the meantime, Karr kept watch over Connor, because she was his to watch over.

/----/

Bonnie woke early the next morning. She was used to waking up earlier than Michael, so it didn't surprise her to find Kitt's windows still tinted where Michael was taking refuge in his dreams. A slight smile crossed her face, but only for a moment. Karr was still beside Kitt, but Connor was up underneath the hood, tinkering around with something. Bonnie sat up on her cot, listening in with interest.

"How do you know that?" Connor was saying, a note of disgust in her voice. "I'm pretty sure that's not something the Director put in your databanks."

"That's what Internet access will do for you." Karr said, sounding rather smug. "You've taken advantage of that how many times now?"

"Not like that I haven't." Connor grunted. She swore under her breath. "I'm going to need a saw or something to get this off."

"For the love of everything holy, don't break anything." Karr pleaded.

Connor grunted affirmative. "You still haven't answered my question."

"Which one? You had several."

"Just when did you have time to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas often enough to memorize the dialogue?!"

Karr laughed, and for some reason it sounded warmer than it had last night. "I seem to recall a young girl who wouldn't go to sleep unless she was watching it once she found out about it." he teased lightly.

Connor stilled, but only for a moment. "I do not remember that."

"Of course you don't. You kept falling asleep within the first five minutes. I had to watch the darn thing all the way through."

Bonnie walked over to the pair. "Connor?"

The girl poked her head out from under the car. "Yes?"

"You – you don't have to threaten Michael. I'll help you." She hated herself for saying it.

Connor smiled, as if she knew the thoughts running through Bonnie's head. "Thank you."


	6. Chapter 6

**chapter six**

Michael woke up to a rather unexpected sight. Bonnie was at the computers, running checks on Karr's programming. Connor was up underneath the hood (no surprise there) humming along with the music as she worked on the engine. Apparently enough of the engine had been repaired that Karr was half attached to the car and half to the computers. Michael wondered briefly if Karr felt like he had split personalities like that. Then again, he wondered if Kitt felt the same on the rare occasions he found himself in a similar predicament.

He focused in on the music and frowned. "What is that?"

"Something that makes your music sound appealing." Kitt muttered, and Michael couldn't help but laugh. "Honestly, Michael, what would make someone want to listen to that? The lyrics don't even make sense!"

Michael shrugged. "Beats me. But it does sound like something Connor would like."

"I didn't think Karr would like that kind of music."

"Hey, you tolerate mine, don't you?" He patted the dash as he got out. Kitt was silent, but he got the impression Kitt was smiling at him. He walked over to Bonnie and placed a kiss on her cheek. "So how's it coming?" he asked, quickly stepping out of the way of her slap. She shot him a dirty look, but he could see the blush rising on her cheeks. He grinned.

"We were going just fine before you interrupted." she snipped, trying to cover her blunder.

Connor peeked from her position under Karr. She flashed them a grin. "Aw – look Karr, they make such a cute couple!"

A sound like static exploded from Kitt, and it took Bonnie and Michael a moment to realize he was laughing. "I've been trying to tell them that for years." he said. "Glad to know someone else sees it."

"Enough teasing." Michael snipped, but the sharp tone was lost with his grin. "So how much work needs to be done?"

"Well, Bonnie and Karr keep finding stray codes in his programming, so that's going to take at least a few more days." Connor said, grunting a little. "And the engine looks like someone detonated a bomb under here." She cursed as something slipped, and Michael almost flinched at the familiar sound of metal cutting flesh.

"Connor, are you all right?" Karr demanded. There was a hint of concern in his voice, like he was trying to hide it but just couldn't keep it all away.

Connor muttered affirmative. "I'm going to need more parts than I have." she murmured. "Some of the stuff down here – spark plugs and the oil filter, just to name a few – are completely trashed." She fiddled with the oil plug as she thought. "I'm going to need to raid an Auto Zone before I go much further with this."

"You are in no condition to be raiding anything." Karr said sharply. "You wouldn't get very far."

"Whoever said anything about doing this in broad daylight?" Connor shot back. "I'm not that stupid."

"Wait – you're planning on robbing a garage?" Bonnie demanded.

"Well, we don't exactly have a bank account anymore." Connor pointed out dryly. "What other choice do we have? Besides, even if we did, I can't go out and buy the stuff. These kinds of places keep normal hours, and if I go out during the day, the Institute will track me down. So what would you want me to do?"

"Give me a list and let me go get it." Michael said. "Stealing is a good way to get the cops called on you."

"Not with the person I had in mind." Connor said with a grin. She slid out from under the hood and glanced at the Ferrari. "You think Joyce is still in the area?"

"Possibly." Karr said, just a touch too dryly. "You got a mob boss to use as bait?"

"I'll think of something." Connor said with a laugh. She glanced over at Michael and Bonnie, both of whom had looks of shock on their faces. "What? Did you think I was a good girl or something? I have contacts with people a lot worse than pick-pockets and street racers."

"I'd wait until ten tonight to head out." Karr advised. "The night comes alive then."

Connor nodded. Michael shook his head. "A word, please." He drew her aside, to the doorway of the chamber. He could see the vicious cut on her hand that even now was oozing blood. "Connor – you can't do this."

She looked at him, her eyes completely blank. "Why not? Because it's against the law?"

"Exactly."

She sighed. "Let me tell you something, Michael, because I don't think you understand this. As long as Karr doesn't get fixed, he's in pain. He won't tell me, but I know he is. He can feel what's wrong with him the same way this cut stings like crazy. Now, if stealing from some random person is the least I can do to take his pain away, don't think I won't do it. If I had to kill to take his pain away, I would." Her eyes were empty, but somehow they seemed full of shadows at the same time. Michael believed her.

"I have a hard time understanding that." he said quietly.

Connor smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "No you don't. The problem is you understand it too well. That's why you hate and like me at the same time. You see yourself and Kitt in me and Karr. You see what you could have been, what you have the capacity to become, and it scares the crap out of you. So don't judge me, and don't tell me you don't understand. You're just lying to yourself." With that she turned and resumed her place under Karr's hood.

Michael just stood there, stunned. While Kitt could never bee Karr – never be as cold as Karr – and Michael could never become the hardened criminal that he knew Connor was, she had a point. Their bond was the same.

Which explained a lot. It explained more than Michael was willing to accept.

So he shook it off. For now.


	7. Chapter 7

**chapter seven**

Connor left late that night. With Karr in partial shutdown mode, Bonnie, Kitt, and Michael were free to speak. "Michael, what are you doing?" Bonnie demanded. For once she had her back turned on the computers. The codes were shut down for the night. There were no more diagnostic tests to run that couldn't be run during the day. "She's going to hire someone to steal for her. We need to stop her – you need to stop her! She trusts you!"

Michael laughed at that. "Connor doesn't _trust_ me." he said. "She doesn't trust anyone but Karr, and with good reason. She just relates to me well, that's all."

"We should still stop her." Kitt said quietly. "Even if Connor's intentions are good, she will still hurt the owner of the store."

"I can't, buddy." Michael admitted.

"Why not? It should be a simple task, with both of us working on it."

"It's not that." Michael hesitated a moment, his eyes flickering between Kitt and Bonnie. "Listen, Karr is all Connor's got. He's everything to her, and I do mean everything. I'm not even sure if she's capable of loving or trusting another person as much as she does Karr. As extreme as their relationship is, I can understand it. If the roles were reversed, and Kitt and I were in their position, I would do the same thing."

There. He said it. For a long moment, no one spoke. Bonnie was torn between understanding and horror at her friend's confession – she had always believed Michael to be incorruptible. Kitt, on the other hand, seemed to glow with pride. Perhaps he understood that he was the only one Michael would go to such lengths for. Bonnie and Devon Michael would fight for, but Kitt – things went to a whole new level with Kitt. So Michael knew he faced no judgment from Kitt. It was Bonnie he was worried about.

But Bonnie chose not to comment on that. Instead, she switched subjects. "How extreme is their relationship?" she asked. "What are they to each other?"

"It would probably be easier to say what they aren't." Michael admitted. "They aren't lovers. Not even emotionally, although I doubt any human would get close enough to Connor to claim that. She's been burned too many times. As for the rest – I honestly can't say."

"They are friends, and more than friends." Kitt said suddenly. "They are the dark side of myself and Michael."

Michael grinned. "That's as good a way as any to phrase it." he said as he ran his fingers across the hood of the Trans-Am.

Bonnie sighed and plopped down on her cot. "When were you planning on informing Devon of this?" she asked tiredly.

"Never." Michael said immediately. "He would want me to destroy Karr, and I can't do that either."

"Please tell me you have a better reason for that."

"I do. Connor spared me because of Kitt. The least I can do is spare Karr because of her."

/----/

Joyce Myers was a small, young looking woman, a good ten years Connor's senior and yet she only looked in her early twenties. She had fiery red hair she kept cut military style and bright green eyes. She could almost pass for Irish, if it wasn't for the one-piece leotard with gloves and knee-high boots she wore. The entire ensemble was black, and she even had a mask to go over her face. Ironically enough, the mask was shaped like a cat's face.

Connor grinned as she met Joyce just outside of the club where she had hailed Michael almost a week ago. "I see you're channeling Catwoman." she teased.

Joyce grinned. "I love the classics." she said, deliberately making her voice as smooth and seductive as she could. Connor laughed at her, and Joyce dropped the act. "Seriously, though, it throws everyone for a loop. And the responsible Joyce Myers hates cartoons and comics, so why should she know anything about Catwoman?" She tilted her head to the side. "This isn't a social call."

"No." Connor's smile faded away. "We need help."

"Name it. I owe you a few."

Connor rattled off the list of parts she needed. There was no need to write everything down. Joyce had a photographic memory. "The problem is, you can't take them all from the same place."

"I take it the Institute doesn't know about this one?" she asked.

"The Institute is the one who did this to him."

Joyce's eyes went wide with shock. "They tried to turn Karr on you." Connor nodded, and she cursed. "Are you going to go after them? I would love to sink my knives into some of those traitors."

Connor smiled, but it was a bitter one. "Oh, we are. Just not anytime soon. I'm not quite up to par, and Karr has a lot of work that needs to be done, as you can see." Joyce nodded slowly, and Connor could almost see the wheels in her head turning.

Joyce wasn't exactly a safe contact. She had strong ties to the Director as well as several of Karr's old mechanics. In fact, she was more of a contract killer than a thief – a mob boss had ordered her parents killed when she was twelve, and Joyce had dedicated her life to finding mob bosses the law wouldn't touch and taking them out. It was a bit noble for Connor's tastes, but Joyce made for an excellent contact regardless.

Still, Connor was taking a risk. As much as Joyce would love to have a go at her so-called traitors, she would never want to kill the Director. She might even sell Connor out if she thought the younger woman was going to kill the man herself. If Joyce decided to turn on them, they would have to run, and Karr was in no condition to run.

"Where will I bring the merchandize?" Joyce asked finally.

"Back here." Connor said. Here, at least, Connor would be able to tell if Joyce had been followed and Karr would be safe.

Joyce nodded, and if she knew what Connor was thinking, she gave no indication of it. "I can do that. Give me till tomorrow at noon." With that Joyce turned and walked away. Connor sighed and activated the ear wig.

"It went as well as to be expected." she murmured. "What about on your end?"

"_We may have an unexpected ally in Knight."_ Karr said thoughtfully. _"If Devon Miles realizes that Knight is hiding valuable information from him, Knight's life may be in danger."_

Connor snorted. "I doubt that. Still, we'll keep an eye out on him. Can't go losing good allies, can we?"

"_No, we cannot. Get back quickly. I don't like having you out of my sensor range."_

"Soon, Karr. I'll be back soon."

One more trip, and then she would be back. She had to do something about those sensors, and she knew the perfect place to pick up the materials to do so. And it wouldn't even require stealing.


	8. Chapter 8

An: Sorry for the delay. Between school being a buttmunch and my renewed fascination with Transformers (can't wait for the second movie!) I've been busy. Never fear – I will finish this story. But if you happen to be a Transformers fan, or just want to read another story, check out my fic Semper Fi. Give it some love, idiot child of mine though it may be.

Rambling done. Here's the chapter!

**chapter eight**

Connor hated being here. The person who lived here wasn't necessarily a bad man, not as far as true evil went, but the place was just far too familiar. Alan Grant dealt in prostitutes and electronics, an odd combination but a useful one at the moment. He was a pimp, but he was kind to his girls and they respected him. Connor had even watched as he helped a few of them find different careers as they so chose. He made electronic components for Karr, and Connor guarded his dirty little secret from the Institute in return.

Alan lived in a scummy apartment above the antique shop in the sleazier part of town, just a few blocks away from the club where she had met with Michael. Connor wrinkled her nose at the filth Alan lived in. Even her room at the Institute was cleaner than this. Apparently Donna wasn't home for the month. Usually she kept her brother's place at the very least presentable. Alan never cared. It wasn't like the girls spent the night at his place or anything.

Connor walked into his living room and offered him a smile. "Hey, Al."

Alan, a fat middle-aged man who was wealthier than any sleazeball had the right to be, lounged on the couch as he smiled at her. One of his teeth was capped in gold. "What brings you to my neck of the woods, Connor?"

Connor shrugged. "I need new scanner components. You still got some left over?"

The man hesitated, unsure. "Usually you don't come to me unless the Director's pissed you off." he said slowly. "What has he done this time?"

"Something I'm going to have to kill him for." Connor said dismissively. "I didn't think you, of all people, would care. You probably want him dead more than I do."

Alan flashed her a humorless grin. "You know Donna was always the one telling horror stories about Dad." he said. "I wouldn't know anything about it."

"You should know by now that she's right." Connor shot back. "You've seen what he's done to myself and Karr. You've seen the scars he left on his own daughter."

"I never got scars myself."

Connor rolled her eyes. "I hate people like you." she muttered. "Your kind is the entire reason I had to run away and wound up with the Director to begin with."

"Yeah, but you don't regret it." Alan pointed out.

He had a good point, but now wasn't the time to argue such things. "Do you have the components or not?" she demanded, starting to lose her patience. As Karr would say, she didn't have much to begin with. Alan nodded. With a grunt he stood up. His back turned to her, Connor wrinkled her nose in distain. He had a lack of respect for the very sister who had almost sacrificed her life for his.

He emerged from one of his side rooms and handed her a box. She reached to take it from him, but he cleared his throat, forcing her to meet his eyes. For once, he wasn't wearing his typical sardonic expression. There was something akin to sympathy in his eyes, and for some reason that unnerved Connor more than anything else could have.

"It doesn't have to be this way, you know." he said quietly. "I have contacts. I can get you as far away from the Director as you need to get. You can start again."

Connor studied him a moment. "I can't start again." she said just as quietly. "You of all people should know that." With that she turned and walked away.

/----/

Karr was just a little paranoid by the time Connor got back to the chamber early morning. By that time Bonnie and Michael had fallen asleep, and even Kitt was in partial recharge. His paranoia upped a notch or two when he realized Connor's hands were shaking as she set her small box down. Slowly, she walked over to him. Karr opened the driver's door for her. She smiled. "I see Barstow has you hooked up a little better, huh?" She slid into the seat, and Karr closed the door.

"I threatened her into it." Karr said calmly. "Personally, I don't think she's a fan of mine."

"Probably not." Connor conceded. "I have the parts we need. Tomorrow I should be able to get your scanners back in working order."

"By tomorrow all of my programming errors will be eliminated." Karr mused. "All that will be left is the engine damage, and I'm pretty sure Knight wouldn't mind helping you out there."

Connor gave the dash a look. "You're willing to let Knight work under your hood?" she asked dryly.

"I put up with Barstow, didn't I?" He hesitated. "Something is wrong. You're shaking."

"I got the parts from Alan." Connor muttered. "That man always makes me tired."

"That man is a sore on the earth." Karr bit out. "What did he say this time?"

"Oh, we got into one of our little half-spats." Connor said dismissively. "He said he could give me a fresh start, as far away from the Director as I could get." For a moment, neither of them said anything. Karr ran the probabilities through his processor. It was possible. Frankly, it was probably the best deal Connor was likely to get. A chance to start fresh, to take on a real name and live like a human woman was supposed to.

"Is that bad?"

"I won't do it."

Karr was surprised. "Why not?"

Connor reached out to touch the dash. "I won't leave you behind." she said calmly. "You're the only reason I'm still alive right now. That means more to me than any kind of life Alan could offer me." She leaned back into the seat, and Karr felt her shiver in the cold. He wished she would take a blanket from Knight – what he wanted more was access to his heating system so he could take care of the problem himself. It wasn't in his nature to let anyone else take care of Connor.

"It might be best for you to get out while you still can." Karr said quietly, his voice not betraying the hurt that the mere thought of her leaving created.

Connor smiled, her eyes closing. "Perhaps. But as I've said before – it's my job to protect you. And no matter what kind of deal Alan can give me, it wouldn't include you. So I won't leave." She sighed, her body relaxing into the seat. "Good-night."

"Good night." Karr repeated softly.

From the other side of the chamber, Kitt tuned out of the conversation. He would never admit it, not to anyone, but he almost envied Connor and Karr's relationship. It was simple to them. There was Connor and Karr, and what was best for both of them, and nothing else mattered.

Sometimes he wished it were that simple with himself and Michael, but that's what came from living on the right side of the law. Besides, Kitt had seen the price Connor and Karr had paid for their friendship. He wouldn't wish that fate on anyone. So he settled down for the night, keeping his surveillance mode fully operational.

With Karr's sensors out of whack, it was up to Kitt to protect all of them.


	9. Chapter 9

**chapter nine**

Karr absolutely _hated_ it when Connor was beyond his scanner range, and he had no problems letting the people still in the chamber with him know about it. Thankfully, all the programming damages had been repaired. All that was left to fix was the engine problems, and that required Connor to get the supplies from Joyce, which required her to be _out of his range_ for a few hours. Which Karr did not like.

Not. One. Bit.

He did find some amusement, however, in watching Barstow and Michael bicker.

"I want to go now." Barstow hissed. "He's fixed, I've done my job. Let's just get back to the Foundation and leave well enough alone."

"We can't." Michael explained patiently. Karr could tell from his tone that it was only his familiarity with the woman that was keeping him from lashing out at her. "Karr's basically helpless right now. If we leave, the Institute could send their men to come and kill him."

"I don't care." Barstow snapped. "We've killed him how many times now?"

"That was different." Michael protested.

"And just what exactly does this Institute want with them?" Barstow continued, completely ignoring Michael now in favor of pacing in front of Kitt. "For all we know, the Institute is a perfectly legitimate group that Connor and Karr screwed over in one of their little plans. How did I get duped so easily?"

Michael sighed, but it was Kitt that answered. "The Institute is not a normal company, Bonnie." he assured her. "I've done research on it."

"And what does that research tell you?" Barstow demanded, not quite as willing to snap at Kitt as she was at Michael. Apparently Barstow had a soft spot for her creation.

"Depending on which resource I use, I get a different answer." Kitt said. "If I go through police force computers, the Institute is a private-run organization that helps out the local cops for a small fee. However, if I use, say, the computers of certain criminal circles, then the Institute becomes a key player in several drug deals, mysterious disappearances, and a couple of assassinations. Most of those assassinations seem to be linked to a man named Dmitri."

Karr decided to speak up. "I didn't know the good guys had access to criminal computers." he said, teasing Kitt just a little. To his surprise, Kitt took the bait.

"I am a computer, after all." he said, putting on his loftiest voice. "No computer, criminal or not, is beyond my hacking capabilities."

Karr emitted his own static-laughter. "You're still just a production line copy."

"And you're currently in five pieces relying on this production line copy's functioning scanners." Kitt reminded him, but there was no venom in the jibe.

Michael stared at them both in shock. "Now that is something I never thought I would see." he muttered, flashing Kitt a grin. "Kitt and Karr bickering like an old married couple."

"No, that would be you and Bonnie." Kitt shot back.

"More like you and Knight." Karr observed, the barest hint of a smirk in his voice. Michael and Kitt were rising to the bait nicely, and the meaningless taunting was keeping him occupied from the real trouble. Still, the true fun was watching Barstow stare at them like they had all lost their minds.

Before anyone could continue, Connor stormed in carrying a leather pack over her shoulder. Karr immediately focused on her. "Something wrong?" he asked mildly.

"When is anything not wrong?" Connor muttered. "Kitt, I have a favor. I need you to keep an eye on things outside while I fix everything up here. If anything so much as moves, I want to know about it." She glanced over at Michael. "Would you help me? This will go faster with four hands instead of just two."

"You sure Karr won't bite my hands off?" Michael teased lightly.

"I'll behave if you do." Karr shot back. "Connor, what's wrong?"

"Joyce sold us out." Connor growled. "I saw her talking to the Director just after I got the supplies from her."

Karr hesitated as Connor and Michael vanished underneath the hood. Before he could speak, though, Barstow did. "Can you work and talk at the same time?" she asked. Connor grunted affirmative. "What are you to the Institute?"

"Karr and I used to be operatives." Connor said. "Michael, hand me that." Michael did so, and Connor resumed speaking as she worked. Karr could feel her quick efficiency as she worked next to Michael's more brute strength. He also knew Kitt was watching them like a hawk, not that he could say anything about that. "I ran away from an abusive home, went to the Director for protection, and he turned out to be worse than my so-called parents. So Karr and I left, and he didn't like it, so he did this." She set aside her wrench, adjusted one of the hookups, and nodded to herself. "Amazing what you can do with the right tools."

"What if I don't believe you?" Barstow asked, her voice darkening as she spoke.

"I don't care." Connor said flatly. "I already told you – I don't trust you, and I don't expect you to trust me. In fact, trusting me could prove dangerous. I'm not in the habit of protecting random people, although I do owe you one for this." She surveyed the rest of the work that needed to be done. "All right, we have maybe an hour left under here, and then we can get Karr back inside the engine where he belongs."

"I appreciate that." Karr said.

"Um, Connor?" Kitt said suddenly, his voice tight. "You may not have an hour."

"How much time do we have?" Connor demanded, struggling to keep from panicking.

"Thirty minutes, maybe forty if you feel lucky."

"I don't." She hesitated, considering the damage done to the engine. If she scrimped out on some of the repairs, she could cut the work time in half. Add on an extra three minutes to get Karr back inside the engine compartment . . . "We don't have that kind of time." she said finally. "We won't finish here before the Institute is bearing down on us."

"So what do we do?" Barstow demanded. Once again, Connor hesitated, but this time she had a plan. She slid out from under the hood.

"Michael, I need you to keep working. No matter what you hear." Connor said quietly.

Michael immediately poked his head out from under the hood. "Why?" he demanded suspiciously.

"Because I don't want to accidently kill you." Connor responded. She opened the trunk of the Ferrari and Barstow gasped as she removed a sniper rifle and a fair amount of ammo. Glancing at Michael, Connor added, "Unless you want to help me hold the fort?"

Michael stared at her for a moment. Connor was a killer. He knew that. He also knew someone made her a killer, and that someone was most likely the Director. If the Director was coming for her now, and if he had tried to set Karr against Connor, then that meant he was coming with weapons. He stood up and glanced over at Kitt, as if seeking an answer from his partner.

Kitt almost seemed to smile at them. "There are more people coming than one person can hold off on her own." he said quietly.

Michael nodded. He went over to Kitt, opened the glove compartment, and removed his service revolver. He glanced back at Bonnie. "You're going to want to take cover." he said softly.

Barstow stared at him. "You aren't really going to kill someone." she whispered.

Michael walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Bonnie, I'm a cop." he whispered back. "She needs someone. I'm the only one here."

Barstow hesitated, but nodded. "For the love of all things holy, be careful."

He flashed her a grin. "Aren't I always?"

"I think Kitt would disagree with that."


	10. Chapter 10

**chapter ten**

Karr watched Connor and Michael work for a few minutes before saying anything. Connor – determined soul that she was – was back under his hood, trying to make it safe for her to reattach the CPU to the engine. Michael and Bonnie were barricading off the entrance as well as they could with the few cots laying around. Kitt would be providing most of the protection, considering his MBS. There was, however, one problem that he was pretty sure no one else realized.

"Kitt," he said suddenly, "just what do you plan on doing when the shooting starts?"

"I have been in gunfights before, Karr." Kitt shot back, not in the least bit concerned. "I know what to do."

"Yes. When you're with Knight, who doesn't shoot back." Karr said dryly.

Connor cursed. "I forgot about that. Kitt isn't programmed like you are."

"He might be more fun if he was."

"What's the problem?" Kitt demanded, sounding slightly impatient. After all, he had been in situations like this with Michael numerous times, and they had always gotten out alive and in one piece. He watched as Connor climbed out from under the Ferrari and wiped her hands off on her jeans. Her knuckles were scraped bloody, and some of the blood had trickled down her arms. She didn't seem to notice as she picked up her sniper rifle once again and took up position behind Karr. Damaged as he was, the MBS was still functional.

"We aren't going to be laying down suppressive fire to get out of here." Connor said simply. "We can't actually go anywhere. So I'm going to have to kill them if they get in my range."

There was a full second worth of silence while Kitt processed that. "Say what?"

"I don't want to kill anyone." Michael said quietly. "I'll help keep them off of you, but I won't kill them."

"You might just have to." Karr said. "Once you start firing, they'll start shooting back. Firefights suck that way." There was another pause, this one more tense. Connor hesitated, but only for a moment.

"Get out of here." she said quietly. "All of you, get in Kitt and get gone."

"What are you talking about?" Barstow demanded. "Not too long ago you were more than ready for us to help you. Now you want us to go? How does this make sense." Her hands were on her hips in a pathetic display of anger, and Karr almost laughed at her. He could tell she thought she was intimidating, and maybe to someone with a softer background she was.

But Connor and Karr had dealt with more intimidating people than Barstow. Connor gave her a look, never abandoning her position. "If you won't kill, then you aren't of any use to me. All you'll do is get yourself hurt and slow us down." she said calmly.

Once again, Michael had to wonder. "I'll provide you with some cover." he said slowly. "But I won't kill anyone I don't have to. Understand?"

Connor sighed. "Sure."

They turned their focus back on the entrance. Five gunmen had lined up just outside of their barricade, and Connor recognized them as guards for the Institute. A grimace of disgust twisted her features. For five nameless men, she knew all three of them by face. They had, at different times, been bodyguards and prison guards for her and Karr. Sometimes on their side, sometimes keeping them far away from each other, depending on the whims of the Director. She wanted nothing more than to shoot them all down where they stood.

But there was time for that later. Right now her concern was getting them to back off long enough for her to get Karr out of there.

One of the guards opened fire. Michael popped off a few rounds, making them duck, but deliberately not striking them. Karr wished he could roll his eyes. Connor rose up from her position, fired, and took out one of the guards with a single shot between his eyes. He dropped like a stone.

"Connor!" Kitt snapped.

"I told you I wasn't going to spare anyone." she shot back, quiet anger making her voice shake. "If you don't like it, you should have left when you had the chance." All four of the remaining guards opened fire, and conversation was cut off at the sound of bullets flying. True to form, once the guards figured out Michael wasn't actually trying to hit them, they focused their firepower on him. Cursing, he ducked down behind Kitt.

Karr snarled something unfriendly-sounding. He couldn't really be of much help like he was. He could faintly hear Kitt checking in with his driver, making sure the man hadn't taken any serious damage. He wished he could at the very least _move,_ maybe have access to his laser, but that was impossible with his engine being in the condition it was in. Karr simply couldn't do anything to help Connor, and it pissed him off to no end.

Connor raised up again and opened fire on the guards. Two more went down before a deep voice called a retreat. Instantly, all gunfire stopped, and a short man in a slick suit stood just outside of the barricade. With the setting sun at his back, Michael couldn't tell what the man looked like. He seemed awfully confident for someone who had just had his guards mowed down by one person.

"Is this really necessary, Connor?" he said, his voice deep and bland. After spending so much time with Devon, Michael could detect the slight British accent in his voice. "Three of my guards, your friends, dead?"

Connor snorted. "Whoever said they were my friends, Director?" she sneered. "I can mow them down all day. In fact, take another step forward and I can take out the person I really want to kill right now." She grinned humorlessly, although she knew the Director wouldn't see it. "Come on. Be a man. Step up and I'll end this once and for all."

The man she had identified as the Director laughed at her. "How long do you think you can hold out against my troops, especially with an ally who won't kill?" he pointed out dryly. "Come on, Connor. Use that head of yours. I'll kill you and take Karr back. So if you want to live, all you have to do is give me Karr."

"Connor." Karr murmured.

"Don't." Connor shot back. "Surrender is not an option. Never has been, never will be." She adjusted her aim and squeezed the trigger. Her shot was off, but not by much. The bullet glanced off the cement right by the Director's feet. Louder, she added, "Is that answer enough for you?"

"I can wait you out." he hissed.

Connor laughed. "Nope. I have an advantage over you."

"Oh really? And what is that, pray tell?"

Connor cocked her weapon. "I'm not afraid to die."

"You're fighting awfully hard for someone who's not afraid to die." the Director shot back.

"Karr needs me alive right now. That's the only thing that's ever kept me alive. You should know that."

There was a long pause. Finally, the figure of the Director pulled back. "I will think on this." he said quietly. "But don't think you've heard the end of me, little no-name."

And with that silence descended on the group.


	11. Chapter 11

**chapter eleven**

"So, what's going on?" Bonnie demanded, watching with wide-eyed terror from her position on the far side of the wall. Michael was currently reloading his revolver, looking through Kitt's windows to see what was going on. Connor had set aside her weapon and was back under Karr's hood, working frantically. During the ten-minute stalemate, she had managed to mostly attach Karr back to the engine. There were a few more things that absolutely had to be done before she could put the CPU back where it belonged. "I mean, is he going to back off?"

"Not likely." Connor grunted. If it hadn't been for the speed of her repairs, Bonnie would never have known the younger woman was worried. "The Director doesn't back off. He might give us some breathing room, tactical retreat, whatever you want to call it – but give him about a day or two, and he'll be back. That's if we're lucky, which quite frankly, I'm not." She gave the wrench one last, hard tug, and set it aside. "How's that?"

"Much better." Karr responded, and like Connor, Bonnie couldn't tell if he was anxious, scared, or just coldly indifferent. His scanners once again fully operational, Bonnie couldn't help but think of all the pain those two could cause.

"There are still guards out there." Kitt pointed out, and Bonnie was relieved to hear that he, at least, sounded frazzled. "I count six, plus the man called the Director. There's also a young woman in a leotard standing beside him."

"That would be Joyce." Connor said darkly. "Oh, we owe her big time."

"She stole for you." Kitt said.

"She sold us out." Karr shot back. "I don't have a homing beacon, Kitt. Joyce had to lead him here, otherwise he shouldn't have found us so quickly."

"What are they doing?" Michael interrupted, every muscle in his body tense and ready for action. Kitt made a sound that was his equivalent of a shrug.

"I'm not sure. They're talking about something, but they're out of range for anything clear. I'm only picking up on a few words, and none of it makes sense." he said apologetically. "However, they – wait." There was a moment of silence, the only sounds Connor's cursing as her hands slipped once again on something sharp and Karr's reprimands for her to be careful. Kitt zeroed in on the Director, trying to decipher his facial expressions. For whatever reason, the man wasn't very expressive like most humans Kitt had met. "It appears as if they are – yes, they're definitely setting up camp, so to speak."

Bonnie blinked. "Kinda silly, don't you think?"

"No." Karr said, his voice darker than normal with hate. "The Director is planning. He'll stay out there, keeping us paranoid to the point of breaking. Only then will he come after us."

"Good thing we aren't sticking around." Connor said, emerging from underneath the hood and standing up with a satisfied smile on her face. Michael and Bonnie stared at her. Covered in grease and oil, clothes torn and bloodied, she looked like a war-torn veteran. "That does it. Karr, I'm going to need to disconnect you from the extension cables to put you back in the engine."

Karr hesitated. "Is that necessary?"

"You know it is." Connor said. "Don't worry, I'm not shutting you off – you can time me. Five minutes, tops."

"No need." Karr sounded strained, but he made no further protests. "Proceed." Connor nodded, but Bonnie noticed she was biting her lip as she worked, quickly disconnecting all the extra wires that made it impossible to just fit Karr back into his compartment in the engine. Suddenly the scanner went dark, and a few tears escaped to track paths down her cheeks. Hands shaking, she set to work reconnecting Karr.

It was an obvious display of need and affection, and no one said a word about it. About three minutes later, she dropped the hood and took a step back. "Karr?"

"Right here." Karr was quick to assure her, the scan bar on the front of the Ferrari lighting fully before starting to track. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I know." Connor slid into the driver's seat and cranked up the engine. To her delight, it turned over on the first try. "Does it hurt?"

" . . . No."

"You lie like a dog." She looked through the windshield. "Kitt, how far away is they're camp?"

"Thirty feet from the entrance." Kitt said confidently. Connor nodded.

"All right. Barstow, Michael – you guys need to get in Kitt. Now." Bonnie and Michael were quick to comply, even as Connor continued to speak with Kitt. "We're going to leave. Just go as fast as you can, straight through the camp. I want you to follow us. The guards will scatter, and your path will be clear. Sound good to you?" Kitt made an affirmative noise. Connor nodded. "Good. Line up on us – we'll plow the road."

"Connor." Karr's voice was so very quiet, for her ears alone, and she glanced down at the dash even as she aligned the car on the opening. "I do love you."

She smiled as she reached out to touch her fingers to the dash. "I know." she murmured. "Let's blow this joint, shall we?"

"Yes." And the moment was gone, but not forgotten. Connor gunned the engine, tires squealing as she sped out of the underground complex. Kitt's turbines growled as he rode Karr's bumper, out and into the drizzling rain. Bonnie cursed and grabbed hold of the seat, eyes wide with shock. Michael simply grinned at her.

"Piece of cake." he teased. "Right, Kitt?"

"Absolutely." Kitt agreed.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "You guys are insane." she said flatly.

Karr plowed through the 'camp' first. There were only a few cars that were being used as a blockade, but Karr's MBS made short work of them. The truck went rolling to the left; the minivan literally spun in circles until the back end struck one of the guards, knocking him into Kitt's door. Karr called out an apology over their frequency, and Kitt muttered something about paying attention in return. A few seconds later, they were clear and on the highway.

Michael hailed Connor over the frequency. "What will you do now?" he asked. "Do you still need help?"

Connor hesitated, unsure. In the end, she decided to give him the bare minimum. "We'll be fine. Thanks for what you've done. We won't forget it." And with that she shut off the frequency, ignoring any other attempts at contact.

Kitt, Bonnie, and Michael left down one of the exits leaving the city, heading back to the Foundation and the safety it provided them. Connor and Karr stuck to the highway. They had no such security, and Connor knew they had to find someplace to rest and finish the repairs on Karr. He was keeping his mouth shut for the most part, but Connor knew him well enough to know that the half-finished engine was hurting him.

Perhaps they would be able to find Dom in the neighboring city. Or maybe they could just find an empty field somewhere in between to finish the repairs. In any case, their path was clear. Now it was just Connor and Karr, and no complications.

/----/

AN: Sorry for the long update times! I've been rattling off chapters for Semper Fi and I completely forgot about this one – well, not completely. The plot bunnies just don't work evenly like they're supposed to. One more chapter left to go in this one, more angsty and sweet – well, as sweet as Connor and Karr are concerned. They don't do fluff. Drop me a line, and tell me what you think!


	12. Chapter 12

**chapter twelve**

They took refuge that night in the basement level of a parking garage. Luckily, there were few guards, and none of them did more than keep a semi-watchful eye on the young woman using the safety lights to do some engine work to her car. If anything, it was instinct for them to keep an eye out for her. After all, she was a woman and that was a hot ride. Someone might try and take it from her.

If they had known anything about the woman, or even the car, they might not have been so worried.

Connor dropped the hood with a satisfied smile. "All done. Feel better?"

"Much." Karr ran a self-diagnostic program. The results came back with satisfying speed. "Everything seems to be fixed." And it didn't hurt any more, but he wasn't going to tell her that. The faults in the engine made it difficult to properly link the CPU to it, and the partial links had _hurt_. Connor nodded and sat on the hood, leaning against the windshield like she was prone to do. Karr hesitated, but it had to be asked.

"I hurt you."

Connor flinched. She had been trying so hard not to think about that. "You did." she said softly. "When you activated your self-destruct sequence." It was Karr's turn to flinch. He had tried _so hard_ not to hurt her. It had been his vow when she became more than just a curiosity. Now it seemed he had failed at that.

"I truly am sorry." he murmured. "But Connor –"

"Do you trust me?"

He flinched again. Unfortunately, flinching was one of those motions that just didn't translate well in a car. Equally unfortunately, Connor knew how to read him far too well. She knew every motion he made that she should not have been able to see. "It wasn't about trust, Connor." he said, his voice if anything even softer than before. "I knew you could save me. I didn't think you'd get the chance. I thought I had killed you – I knew I had hurt you. I promised I would never do that, and I broke that promise. The Director had already changed so much, I honestly believed that I would kill you before you got the chance to save me. I couldn't do that." He stopped for a moment, collecting his thoughts.

"You don't know how much I hated myself, knowing I was breaking another promise. But I couldn't see another way."

Slowly, so very slowly, Connor nodded. "I – understand, I guess. It hurt, knowing you were fighting so hard, and I couldn't do anything to help you." Tears cut paths down her dirty face, and the salty liquid dripped onto Karr's windshield. "And for that, I am sorry. I should have – I told you they wouldn't ever hurt you like that, and I lied."

"You didn't lie." Karr said quietly. "You were fourteen when you made that promise. Neither of us could have anticipated this."

There was a pause before Connor spoke again. "Then it was neither of our faults." she mused. "It was theirs."

"Yes."

Connor rolled over to stare into the windshield. Her eyes burned with anger. "Then we'll make them pay for it." she hissed. "For everything they've done to us. It ends now."

Karr's engine rumbled, and pride was thick in his voice when he responded. "That's my girl. But first, we both need rest." He turned the engine over and opened the driver's door. Connor smiled tiredly and slid off the hood to rest in her seat. "I'll find you a hotel to clean up in. A couple of days, and we'll both be ready to take on the Director. Sound good?"

"Sounds very good." she murmured. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Karr."

Karr chuckled as he pulled out of the parking garage. "The feeling is mutual, Connor. Never doubt that."

The drive was made in silence, but there was no longer tension between them. Mistakes that had been made were now corrected, and the trust they held in each other was reaffirmed. Karr hummed in contentment as they made their easy way into the city to track down a hotel. Connor dozed lightly in the driver's seat, for once safe and secure from any who would harm her.

As Karr intended on keeping her.

/----/

Devon wasn't too pleased with the brief report Michael and Kitt had given him regarding their whereabouts the past week or so. It was lacking in detail, and it gave no explanation for why they had summoned Bonnie. There was no evidence of repairs done to Kitt, although that was what had been implied. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ward off a headache.

It just made no sense.

There was a light knock on his office door, and Bonnie walked in. He stared at her. "What are you doing up so late?" he asked quietly.

Bonnie shifted uneasily. She didn't want to betray Michael and Kitt like this – and she knew they'd see it as betrayal, but something had to be done. That monster couldn't be allowed to roam free. Innocent people would die, and obviously Connor had no respect for their lives. She had to do this.

Or so she kept telling herself.

"Devon, there's something you should know.

**The End**

An: Whoo! Another story down! Yeah, I know, it's a crappy ending, but it's supposed to end like that. So you know what to do – drop me a line, let me know what you think, and keep on the lookout for **Damaged Heart, Broken Trust**, the last in the Dangerous Alliance saga! There will probably be a prequel as well, but don't hold me to that.

Until then, this is Shadowblade-tara, signing off.


End file.
